Bottle collar



June l5, 1937.

BOTTLE COLLAR Filed May '14' 1934 JNVENTag EL 05g ir/@$2 gmk ATTORNEYS Patented June l5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT carica BOTTLE COLLAR Harry F. Afelder, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application May 14, 1934, Serial No. 725,562

1 Claim.

This invention relates to milk bottle collars and the like.

So-called milk bottle collars are being made and used at the present time, these articles being generally formed from arcuate strips of paper with their ends hooked together so as to form a frusta-conical collar adapted to be provided with advertising matter and designed to be slipped over the neck of a bottle, such as a milk bottle. So far as I am aware, heretofore it has Ibeen customary to form on one end of the arcuate strip a notch or slit and on the other a tongue which is adapted to be manually extended therein and so formed as to hold the ends of the l5 strip together. Collars so formed have the objection that their cost does not justify very extensive use thereof, the principal item of expense being the. labor required to produce the tongue and slit and in extending the tongue formed at one end of the strip through the slit in the other end.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide an article of this general kind, whether employed as a milk bottle collar or for other purposes, with the overlapping ends of the strip fastened together in a manner such that Athese articles can be produced far less expensively than heretofore.

More specifically considered, it is the aim of y the invention to fasten the overlapping ends together both by an adhesive and by punching a plurality of tabs in the overlapped portions which tabs, by being displaced laterally of the surface of the material and being formed so as to leave comparatively narrow uncut supporting portions, constitute an effective method of fastening. This method of securing together the overlapping ends of the strip with the article in the form that it is to assume when used, is adapted for inexpensive quantity production by automatically operating mechanism. The punched and displaced tabs may be in any number desired and may be formed in a variety of different shapes without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being a preferable feature of the tabs in so far as their shape is concerned that the unpunched or tab supporting neck be narrower than the severed and displaced portions of the tab so as to reduce the likelihood of the ends separating by the tabs formed on vone end pulling through the openings formed in the otherend.

'In the accompanying sheet of drawing: Fig. 1 is a plan view of an arcuate strip as it 1' is blanked out to produce a bottle collar;

(Cl. I0-4) Fig. 2 shows the collar in its finished form fitted onto the upper portion of a milk bottle which is indicated by dotted lines;

Fig. 2a. isan enlarged view of the collar lookl ing at right angles from the point of view of 5 Fig. 2 and showing a portion of the overlapping ends in section and showing how the tabs are displaced inwardly;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a machine or portion thereof illustrating the method by which 10 the ends of the strip may be fastened together by means of punched and laterally displaced tabs;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the rotatable former which has a roll- 15 ing action about the central axis of the machine and designed to pick up the arcuate strips one at a time, roll them upon itself, and in its travel cause the tabs to be formed in the overlapping ends; 20

Figs. 5, 7, 9, 11, v13, and 15 are views partly in perspective showing different forms of punches which may be used; and

Figs. 6, 8, 10, l2, 14 and 16 show the corre-Y spondingly shaped tabs which are punched from 25 the overlapping ends of the lstrip by the punches of Figs. 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and l5, respectively. J

The articles which are formed in accordance with the present invention may be produced from paper or from other suitable flexible ma- 30 terial. For convenience of description, the material will be assumed to be suitable paper stock. Many specifically different articles may be formed by the fastening means and the process of this invention such as advertising collars adapted 35 to be fitted over the necks of bottles,lamp s'hades, and other articles which may be formed of conical, frusto-conical, cylindrical, or possibly other shapes. For convenience, the article will be referred to as a collar which is shown at 20 in 40 Fig. 2 and is formed from an arcuate strip 2| shown in Fig. l. To form the specific article 20, the strip has arc-shaped upper and lower edges 2id and 2lb which are eccentrically disposed so that the strip will have greater width 45 at its center than at its ends 2Ic which are preferably somewhat rounded as shown, but the upper and lower arc-shaped edges may be concentric or irregularly shaped as may be desired. This strip forms the frusto-conical collar 2n 50 which in this instance is designed to be slipped over the neck of a bottle 22 with the larger end resting upon the enlarged -body portion of the bottle. e

In accordance with the present invention, the

ends of the strip overlap sufiiciently to admit of their being fastened together by a series of punched tabs 23 the shape and number of which can be varied as desired or required. In this instance, the overlapping ends describe an elliptically shaped area which accommodates three rows of punched tabs. -The tabs may beV arranged quite differently than here illustrated in lines which are straight or otherwise disposed, but in this instance the two outer rows describe an elliptical gure and the middle row is along the major diameter of the ellipse. This arrangement has been found desirable but, as stated above, is not essential to the invention.

These tabs are formed with a punch so shaped as to form in the overlapping portions of the strip two contacting tongues or overlying tabs one formed on each end of the strip, and these tongues are displaced laterally in the manner best indicated in Figs. 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 preferably inwardly of the collar. In each instance the punch goes only partway through the overlapping ends of the strip so as to leave the punched and displaced tabs supported on the stock by an integral or unsevered neck which is preferably narrower than the widest portion of the tab where it is severed from the stock with the result that the ends of the collar are securely interlocked since the tendency of the tabs formed on one end of the strip to separate from the tabs formed on the other end of the strip and to pull.

through the openings formed in the latter is greatly minimized. Furthermore, the punches may be so formed that in the punching operation the portions of the stock forming the tabs are stretched so that the tabs will be somewhat larger than the openings, and, if desired to further reduce the likelihood ofthe tabs pulling through the openings, the line of severance may be made somewhat ragged so as to cause something like a tearing action when the tabs are being cut, thereby producing a somewhat ragged edge.

Regardless of the number of tabs that are employed to fasten together the overlapping ends of the strip, to facilitate the manufacture of the articles the overlapping ends of the strip are united by forming the tabs in one quickly performed operation, 4the tabs being formed simultaneously or substantially so.

A machine and a method by which these results can be attained very effectively are illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In these gures 24 represents a circular frame or base from which extends upwardly and inwardly an arm 25 having in line with the center of the circular base 24 or coaxial therewith a boss in which is journaled a vertical shaft 26 carrying a rotatable arm 21 which in turn supports a frusto-conical former 28 which extends inwardly of the annular base 24 with its axis inclined downwardly (see Fig. 4) and intersecting the vertical axis of the machine. The arm 21 with the parts supported by it is counterbalanced by a counterweight 21a. AtI the larger end of the former 28 is a bevel pinion 29 which engages a bevel ring gear 30 supported in xed position on the base 24. Consequently, as the shaft 26 and the arm 21 are rotated, the bevel pinion 29 is caused to roll around the ring gear 30, with the result that the former 28 revolves about the vertical axis of the machine and rotates on its own axis. During each cycle of the revolving and rotating movements the former 28 picks up and causes to be wrapped around its frusto-conical surface just inside the pinion 29 one of the arcuate strips 2| with its ends suitably overlapped. For

gear 30 an elevator on which isadapted to be placed a stack of the strips 2|, the arrangement being such that the former 28 rolls over and picks up the uppermost strip 2| of the stack during each cycle. Suction means is utilized to cause the strip 2| to be rmly held to and wrapped around theformer, and to accomplish this suitably arranged air ports 3| (see Fig. 4) extend from the periphery or outer surface of the former 28 inwardly to a passageway 32 which in turn is connected to an annular passageway 33 at the larger or outer end of the former.

e From this annular passageway 33 there extends a passageway 34 through the supporting block 35 at the outer end of the arm 21 and communicating with this passageway is a suction pipe or tube 36 which extends up through the shaft 26.

Supported by the base 24 at a suitable point just inside the ring gear 30 is a bracket 31 (Fig. 4) which supports a plate 38 carrying a series of punches 39 corresponding in number and arrangement to the number and arrangement of the tabs which are to be punched in the overlapping ends of the ,strip which is wrapped around the former. Likewise, there is provided on the conical surface of the former a die plate 40 (which forms a part of the conical surface), this die plate having a series of dies or openings 4| corresponding in number and arrangement to the series of punches 39, the whole being so arranged that at each revolution of the former the die plate 40 rolls over the punch plate 38 so that the protruding ends of the punches will enter the die openings. The overlapping ends of the strip 2| wrapped around the former 28 cover theY dies or die openings 4| of the die plates so that as the revolving and rotating former rolls over the punch plate the tabs 23 are punched inwardly in the overlapped ends of the strip, thus locking the ends of the strip together. As soon as the revolving and rotating former passes the punch plate, the collar is stripped off the former at its smaller or inner end and slides down a receiving pipe or rod 42 on which the collars may be nested pending removal therefrom. The stripping of the collars from the former 28 is preferably accomplished by a suitable stripper wheel 43 whichA is rotatably supported inside the ring gear close to the punch plate 38 so that as the former passes the punch plate the collar thereon comes in contact with the periphery of be in the form of rubber such as sponge rubber, and causes the collar to be slid off the former 28 and down the receiving-pipe 42. The suction which causes the strip to be picked up and held on the former is I have not attempted to illustrate all the details of the machine and have shown and referred only to so much thereof as is deemed necessary for an understanding of the method by which these collars are formed, but the machine and method are claimed in a separate application Serial No. 752,666 led November 12, 1934, and reference paper may be had to such application for a complete understanding of the machine in all its details.

It was previously mentioned that the punched tabs may be variously shaped. Naturally, the shape of the tabs will depend upon the shape of the cooperating punches and dies. In Figs. 5, 7, and 9 I have illustrated at 39a, 39h, and 39c punches for producing substantially circular punched tabs, illustrated respectively in Figs. 6, 8, and 10 at 23a, 23h, and 23e. The ends of the punches .are inclined and only portions of the inclined ends extend through the die openings in the formation of the tabs so as to leave uncut the necks or unsevered portions which support the tabs; Obviously,'the distance that the inclined ends project into the die openings determines the width of the unsevered or .neck portions which in this instance are chords of the circles defining the tabs 23a, 23h, and 23a, which chords, in accordance with the present invention, are of less length than the diameter of the tabs. This is obvious from an inspection of Figs. 6, 8, and 10.

To produce the stretching action referred to in forming'the tabs, the face of the punch 39a is not flat but is formed with two inclined portions joining in a central ridge. The face of the punch 39h is somewhat rounded to obtainthe same stretching action, while the face of punch 39e is flat and will cut the tabs without materially stretching the paper or stock being cut.

In Figs. 11 and 13 I have shown punches 39d and 39e which produce substantially rectangular tabs shown at '23d and 23e in Figs. 12 and 14. The face of punch 39d is formed so as to stretch the tabs as they vare being cut.

In Fig. 15 I have shown a punch 39! which produces the substantially triangular tab 23! of Fig. 16.

Still other shapes of tabs may be lemployed, it being a feature of` the tab formation, whatever its particular shape, that it is supported on the from which it is punched' by lan unsevered or neck portion smaller than the greatest width of the punched portion of the tab so as to decrease the likelihood of the ends of the collar being separated by the tabs in one end of the collar pulling through the openings formed in the other,.the likelihood of the ends of the collar separating being decreased as the width of the neck portion is decreased relative to the maximum diameter or width of the tab, and also by the enlarging of the tabs by stretching them as they are being punched and also by making the edges somewhat kragged by using punches and dies, the cutting edges of which are dull or not of the highest cutting efliciency. v v

I prefer to supplement the holding action of the tabs by placing between the overlapping ends of the strip which forms the collar one or more spots of gum. This could be applied automatically onto one of the ends of the uppermost strip just before the former rolls niger it and picks it up and therefore would not slow up the machine in which the collars are produced. In fact, neither the application of the gum nor the drying of the same decreases the rate of production,since the tabs hold the ends together and the gum can dry after the collar is made and moved off the former. In fact not only are the overlapping ends of the collar held together by both the gum and thepunched tabs so that both contribute toward the strength of the joint, but since the tabs hold the ends of the collar together while the gum is drying, the capacity of the automatic machine for turning out these collars is considerably greater than it would be if, for example, gum alone were relied upon to fasten the ends together. In Fig. 2, I have shown by dotted lines at 44 the spots of gum or adhesive, and in Fig. 3 they are shown by full lines on the uppermost strip 2| at approximately the points `where they would be applied. The rotating former travels in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 3, so that the gummed end of the strip is the last to be Wrapped onto the former and therefore the spots of gum lie between the overlapped ends and cause them to adhere together.

It will be seen therefore that I have provided an article of the general character hereinbefore stated with its ends secured together effectively and in amanner such as to enable the article to be produced inexpensively. I aim in my claim to cover all modifications in the article and in the process of producing it which do not involve a departure from the spiritand scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

An article of the character described formed from a strip of exlble material having its ends overlapped and held together by an adhesive applied so as to'be between the overlapping ends and byV tabs punched in the adheringoverlapping ends whereby the tabs prevent the spreading lo the ends before the adhesive dries. l

HARRY F. AFFELDER. 

